April 15, 2020

Event

128th annual convention, Jan. 23-26, Columbia

Program

The convention offered more than 60 continuing education lectures and drew more than 600 attendees.

Awards

Veterinarian of the Year
Dr. Clifford J. Miller (Missouri ’00), Moberly. Dr. Miller owns Green Hills Veterinary Clinic, a mixed animal practice in Moberly. Earlier in his career, he practiced in Kansas City. A past president of the MVMA, Dr. Miller chairs the MVMA Legislative Committee. He was instrumental in establishing Moberly’s Hounds Program, a partnership between the Moberly Correctional Center and Moberly Animal Shelter. The program offers criminal offenders the opportunity to train shelter dogs prior to adoption.

Distinguished Legislative Leadership Award
Dr. Clark K. Fobian (Missouri ’77), Sedalia. Dr. Fobian is former owner of Thompson Hills Animal Clinic in Sedalia. He is a past president of the AVMA and MVMA and a past chair of the American Veterinary Medical Foundation.

President’s Award
Dr. Joan Coates (Missouri ’90), Columbia. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Dr. Coates is section head for neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a member of the MVMA Wellbeing Task Force and helped develop the Wellbeing Webinar, a presentation aimed at preventing suicide among veterinarians.

Ortu Stella Award
Dr. Abby Whiting (Missouri ’11), St. Louis, was the inaugural recipient of this award. Dr. Whiting practices small animal medicine in St. Louis. She also serves as a moderator for Not One More Vet, an online veterinary support group.

William A. Wolff Volunteerism Award
Dr. Jessica Thiele (Missouri ’12), Jefferson City. Dr. Thiele serves as veterinarian at Jefferson City Animal Shelter. In 2019, when a tornado touched down in the city, Dr. Thiele ensured that the shelter provided care for almost 40 pets affected by the tornado.

Missouri Veterinary Medical Foundation Distinguished Service Award
Denise Colvin, Jamestown. Colvin has served as museum archivist at the Missouri Veterinary Medical Museum since 2008. The museum houses more than 3,000 artifacts in several exhibits that Colvin has helped develop over the years.

Missouri VMA Academy Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Kenton Morgan (Missouri ’83), Faucett. An equine technical service veterinarian at Zoetis, Dr. Morgan provides support for the equine specialist sales team and the company’s veterinary clients. Earlier in his career, he was in private practice in Missouri, Kansas, and Idaho.

Officials

MVMA—Dr. David L. Gourley, Mountain Grove, president; Dr. Marcy Hammerle, St. Charles, president-elect; Dr. Edward Migneco, St. Louis, vice president; Dr. Shelia L. Taylor, Springfield, secretary-treasurer; Dr. Carol Ryan, Troy, board chair and immediate past president; and Richard D. Antweiler, Jefferson City, executive director. Missouri VMA Academy—Drs. Julie King, Ozark, president; Caitlin DeWilde, St. Louis, vice president; and Bruce Whittle, Trenton, immediate past president. MVMF—Drs. Philip R. Brown, Chillicothe, board chair; Scott Fray, Boonville, board vice chair; George Buckaloo, Lake Tapawingo, secretary-treasurer; and Roger Dozier, Jefferson City, museum director